Monthly Archives: November 2018

Fans of graphic novels were in their element recently with the return of the ever popular ‘Wonderlands’ Expo to Sunderland. Now in its third year, this free celebratory event was held at City Space, Sunderland University, and paid tribute to the comic in all its forms, with a wide variety of workshops, panels, stalls and talks.

Ordinarily home to the Sunderland City Predators, a converted basketball court was the stage for a variety of stalls, featuring work from a plethora of talented national creators and designers. Artists like Track 11 Design, Drew X and Castle Rock’s Bob Turner were on hand to provide caricatures and commissions as well as examples of their latest work. Others, such as Alan Henderson’s The Penned Guin, provided a humorous example of parody and design with selections from previously established catalogues.

Guests of honor gave talks throughout the day, with a particular fan favorite being Liverpool born John Higgins, colorist on Watchmen; the seminal series from DC Comics written by Alan Moore and later a major motion picture directed by Zack Snyder. “We can’t believe how friendly people are” John said, “The Northern friendship is just magic. I think the thing I enjoy most about it is that you get to meet the fans. 90% of the time we spend at home is in a darkened room drawing, so to actually get out and meet fans is just so important and the fact that the University is presenting it in such a considered way we can give a bit back about how we created the characters and share that knowledge is fantastic”.

The events strong foot fall was just one indicator of its popularity and continued success. Organizer Hannah Matterson, Events and Development Coordinator for MAC Trust, said: “We’re thrilled that Wonderlands [is] back for a third year. We’ve worked hard to make sure the event stays free and we’ve been awarded money from Arts Council England to help support the event.”

Providing an introduction for younger people, ‘The Wonderlands Anthology’ was a brand new comic book available for free – a collaboration between pupils at Farrington Community Academy and St Aidan’s Catholic Academy in Sunderland – where students contributed their own short strips for inclusion and then collected their published work at the event. It was another reminder that Wonderlands catered for all ages and exposures.

Beano illustrator Nigel Auchterlounie travelled from Whitley Bay, on hand to make a rare public appearance at Wonderlands showcasing works like ‘Bunny Girl and Pig Boy’ and leading an informal design workshop. “It’s great here, I’ve never been before” he remarked, “I think events like these are important in widening culture, showing another medium, there are so many other ways to tell a story than television – like in comic books”.

Other attendees to the convention used comics in more serious, yet still entertaining light. Comics vs. Cancer are an innovative forum in which Scottish writer Gordon Robertson used the medium to talk about taking a stand against cancer. “I was diagnosed with cancer” said Gordon, “I wanted to write a blog about it. But there’s so many great cancer blogs out there, things that are heart rendering.

I didn’t have that bad of an experience [with cancer] so I felt I couldn’t do that…I created a comic called ‘Arse Cancer’ and that’s where it went. I taught we could use it to raise money for charity. I had bowel cancer, my first wife died from breast cancer and my current wife has also had breast cancer. Humor is a great way of getting things across we wouldn’t normally discuss, so if it helps people recognize symptoms it could save lives and make a real difference.”

Wonderlands ended on a high, being a positive event for Sunderland, encouraging people to expand their minds, get to know a little bit more about graphic novels and share similar interests. A resounding success for the region.

They say old habits die hard. Vinyl, once considered an antiquated format for music consumption, has made an astonishing revival in the past decade to dominate shop shelves and storefront windows; everywhere from Urban Outfitter’s to Sainsbury’s is selling copious amounts of plastic.

But there’s one special day on the calendar no Vinyl enthusiast could have afforded to miss, with the regions premier Independent stores celebrating the tenth anniversary of ‘Record Store Day’ on April 22nd. Shop’s like Hot Rats and Pop Recs are home away from home for many loyal music fans throughout the year, with this special day being their chance to come together and celebrate shared passions.

The event, first begun in the US, is hailed by many as the force behind the Vinyl revival and sees independent record stores selling local fans exclusive releases created especially for the day.

For many years Hot Rats was Wearside’s only independent record shop and still keeps patrons awash with an eclectic mix. Proprietor Marty Yule is no stranger to the realities of Vinyl, being a former member of Punk band The Toy Dolls and beginning the store almost 25 years ago as initially something to do in-between tours.

“Originally the day was to encourage people to pop down to your local independent record shop and perhaps spend a couple of quid at a time when shops were closing at the rate of one a week. Now it’s pretty good business for both the shops AND the suppliers / distributors.” says Marty, “It’s become pretty important, it’s certainly the busiest day of the year. More importantly it seems to get more people into vinyl every year and there’s plenty of press, thanks to ERA, the body that looks after the day.”

Planning and preparation for Record Store Day takes place long before the morning of the event itself. Beatdown Records in Newcastle, themselves a regional favorite amongst music fans, are hard at work in the days approaching.

Store Manager, Nick Wrightson, said: “A lot of blood sweat and tears goes into preparing for the day actually, it’s a logistical nightmare trying to make sure you’ve got the space to get it all in, the knowledge to know what will sell and what won’t. It’s a bit of a juggling act but it’s also a lot of fun.”

One of the major contributors for the continued and increased interest in Vinyl is due to the ambitions of younger collectors, who are eager to make up for lost time and add as many pieces as possible, especially those students from across the UK who spend their Education in Sunderland. Grace Tonkinson, of Heaton Manor Sixth Form, and Lilly Thompson, of St Anthony’s Girl’s School in Sunderland found themselves perusing Vinyl on the day but for slightly different reasons. “We’re walking around taking photo’s for Grace’s art” Lilly explained, as best friend Grace clarified that “it’s to do with my A Level Art project, I’m doing a theme on human form and in different environments. I thought this was a good environment to use because it showcases peoples personalities so well, enjoying music.” And there’s certainly plenty of that.

Michael McKnight, Manager of Pop Recs in Sunderland, looks forward to the day and the live music in store, saying: “It’s always great to remind people that we’re here, so I guess it’s a nice excuse for a bit of a party. We have the Cornshed Sisters, This Little Bird and Chelsea Lynch playing on the evening. I’m really looking forward to that.”

And speaking of performers, there was at least one on hand to pick up Vinyl in Sunderland from the moment the store opened its doors early that morning. The euphonious Frankie of Frankie & The Heartstrings took a moment out of his busy schedule to speak with me about Record Store Day, saying that “I think it’s good, I came in today, no idea what the guys were selling and picked up this ‘Bollywood The Psychedelic Years’; which you probably wouldn’t find on a usual day in a record store, so I think it’s a good cause. I think that it’s great that it highlights the plight of the record store…it’s great that it’s celebrated in mass media.”

Although still considered ‘the new guy in the band’, Pop Recs has made a lasting impression across all generations in Sunderland, first opening their store in June 2013 and then launching an incredible Kickstarter campaign in 2015 when the store was forced to close temporarily and relocate. That project saw 642 backers pledge £14,292 and reaffirmed both Pop Recs importance to the region as well as their continued influence among the positivity of inspiring people through enjoyable music.

This year’s Record Store Day provided many treats for fans. One particular favorite was a limited reissue of The Beatles 1967 7” ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ backed with ‘Penny Lane’. The single was originally released to gap the bridge between the bands albums Revolver and it’s follow up, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on June 1st. “You’re never going to be left with a Beatles album or a Bowie album” Nick tells me, proving classic artists are still as popular with punters today as they’ve always been.

Customer Maxine Wilson was queuing early, her shopping bag to hand and a list filled with relatives and friends choices, those who were unprepared to brave the Sunderland morning themselves. “I queued with a friend two years ago in London” she explains, “it was a bit hectic cause we were out overnight but I got everything I wanted and I was hooked.”

Mistaken for thinking Maxine is a seasoned spin master, she tells me that actually “I take them to my Dad’s because I haven’t got a vinyl player yet, I’m saving up to get a decent one…but I’m going to Vegas this year to get married so I might have to put it back.” Maxine confesses further she’s spent at least £100 on vinyl this month, with no player in sight, proving the records themselves might be more tempting than the ability to hear them.

There has been criticism, given such high profile re-releases, that many exploit the nature of the day, collecting limited items to resell them at profit at online auction sites. This in turn prevents more genuine collectors getting these items at Record Store Day prices.

“If the company’s release interesting stuff fans and collectors will come and buy it. You of course get a percentage of eBay ‘flippers’, but thankfully they seem to be getting less” says Marty, with Michael adding that “I’d guess you’d have to be a mad collector as the records are so expensive. I only ever buy vinyl that I want to listen too”

But the morning’s queue was headed by the purist of the pure, with local man Philip Carrington having the distinction of taking first at the door of Hot Rats. “I was here at five…” Phillip tells me with bloodshot eyes, his tired complexion aside, he’s proud of the achievement, “I’m after the dead or alive…last year was my first one, it’s on the build, the more people and record companies get involved the better it gets”. Gary Weeks, second in the queue, is tight lipped about what he’s looking for but does tell me about a friend of his queuing in Brighton. Apparently he turned up at 2am and was only fourth.

Bronze Medal in the Hot Rats queue goes to Anthony E, his coat pulled against the rain, the heavens opening for a shower as we speak. He’s queued a few years now and it doesn’t seem the weather’s improved, but he sports an optimistic smile and tells me that “I’ve supported the football team all these years so I might as well support my local record store” and then gives Marty a wave as he arrives to open up.

At its heart, Record Store Day is a celebration of everything positive about the impact of good music and comradeship in collecting. It’s brought money to Sunderland this morning and it’s brought a crowd, soon gathering attention from onlookers, to part with their hard earned for records. Whether we celebrate its twentieth or thirtieth anniversary is unclear, but regardless, there’s no denying the positive influence it has had on the landscape of music across the region.

As we ended the celebrations on the day itself, we were given some parting words of wisdom about safely storing and caring for those treasured purchases, so that we might be able to enjoy them for many years to come.

“It’s always worth putting your LP’s in poly lined anti-static inners. Store them upright and away from any heat sources. NEVER touch the vinyl surface with your fingers, hold by the edge and label.” Marty says: “If at all possible don’t play them on them horrible ‘dancette’ things. You need to spend a few hundred pounds on an amp, speakers and deck.” Nick agrees with this, saying that “store it vertically, keep it clean, don’t buy one of those cheap record grinders if you can help it but most of all play them and enjoy them, they do no good sitting on a shelf not being touched”.

A note upon which we are all perhaps agreed then, with Michael adding simply that “As long as people are listening to them, I’m happy”

A Sunderland resident has been fondly remembering an historic visit from US President Jimmy Carter to Wearside. Mr. Carter, who served as US President between 1977 and 1981, was America’s 39th President and visited Sunderland on this month forty years ago in an official capacity. Having just three weeks notice to prepare, the visit was very informal by Presidential standards, Tyne Tees Television capturing the event for American networks and the footage of which is now preserved by both Yorkshire Film Archive and the North East Film Archive.

Within this archive is the additional footage captured by local amateur filmmaker Michael Gough. The retired educator, who moved to the area in the early 1970s with his wife Linda, captured the President’s visit much like any other event he felt might have been of greater significance. “I realized that if I only made family style home movies there would be a very restricted audience so I explored subjects that would appeal to wider audiences” he said recently, speaking to Sunderland One.

“When I decided to film Jimmy Carter my expectation was that it would be a newsreel filler which might remain of interest for a couple of years. Who was to know that ‘Welcome to Washington’ would do so well and still be shown 40 years later?” Michael remembers the day itself very well, but says that there wasn’t much time to stand on ceremony off camera.

“I was working only a few minutes’ walk from Washington Old Hall. I filmed it during my 1 hour lunch break so I only had about 45 minutes free on location. The filming was a rush to get crowds before Jimmy Carter came, see him at the Hall, then rush away before he planted a tree on the green. There was no planning at all. I simple [sic] responded to what was happening and tried to get enough pictures to tell the story. It was all a bit too rushed to feel any particular emotion or recognize the historical significance.”

President Carter visited the city as part of his tour of the North East, taking a tour of Corning Ltd glass works accompanied by then British Prime Minister James Callaghan. The centre, which was originally part of Sunderland Glass Works, was bought out by the American Corning in 1973 and closed its doors in 2007. Corning in America has worked exclusively with Steve Jobs since 2006 and are perhaps most famous for providing the hardware glass which encases the iPhone.President Carter arrived in the region when Air Force One officially landed in Newcastle Airport at just after 9:30am on 6th May. As part of his visit to Sunderland, his Presidential motorcade traveled over the Wearmouth Bridge, cheered by people lining the route. Seated in a Daimler car he was formally greeted upon his arrival in the city by the then Mayor of Sunderland, Charles Slater as well as Fred Willey, then MP for Sunderland North, Gordon Eagier, then MP for Sunderland South and other distinguished guests.

President Carter also took time to visit Washington, particularly Washington Old Hall, where he laid a tree sapling alongside Prime Minister Callaghan. The Old Hall is the ancestral home of George Washington, first known as the “de Wessyngtons”, who settled there from 1180AD. One of the smallest buildings in the possession of the National Trust, it is from a member of the family in the thirteenth century that departed Durham, from whom President Washington could trace his lineage. It is also one of the reasons why Sunderland City and Washington USA signed a unique ‘Friendship Agreement’ in 2006 leading to the establishment of Sunderland Shorts Film Festival.

The Washington coat of arms has been said to have inspired the flag of the United States. An example of the Washington coat of arms or shield can be seen in the cloisters of Durham Cathedral. Holding a special ceremony of American Independence every year, the building is often overlooked by tourists in the region, an H-shaped manor house in the heart of Washington village.

Indeed, it is this friendship and jovial attitude which filmmaker Michael Gough remembers most clearly from the day itself, a parallel on how things have changed in the intervening years regarding visits from such a high profile head of state. “I remember being amused by the intended anonymity of the American security guards who stood out like sore thumbs as they wore hearing aids and secretly talked up their sleeves.”

Mr. Carter made a second, far less public, visit to the region in 1987 by which time he had left Presidential office. In 2013 he sent a letter of thanks to Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes after Mr. Forbes had returned to him a framed photo taken on his original visit. Speaking directly to Sunderland One Cllr Forbes said: “Newcastle has great memories of President Carter’s visit”. “As a result of it our city was twinned with Atlanta – a great transatlantic friendship which has remained strong for the last 40 years. I took a photograph of the event with me on a recent visit to Atlanta, which the mayor’s office arranged to be presented to President Carter.”

The former President, who turned 92 in October, is still very much active in public life and was seen attending President Donald J Trump’s inauguration ceremony earlier this year. This is despite the nonagenarian recently informing an audience he had voted for Bernie Sanders.

At a talk on human rights issues, Mr. Carter went on to say “dissatisfaction with the existing system of politics” resulted in President Trump’s election. “People were willing just to take a chance and to abandon democracy and what we knew about its basic principles and try something new, no matter what it was,” he added.

In Feb 2017 Sunderland AFC Manager David Moyes issued Donald Trump an invitation to come and meet the team ahead of their mid season trip to New York. “If Donald Trump wants to come and see the boys, he’s very welcome,” Moyes is quoted as telling The Express. In a four day bonding session the team were photographed jogging around Central Park and being put through their paces on several exercise routines.

It is not believed that Mr. Trump was aware of or was able to respond formally to Mr. Moyes invitation. When Sunderland One contacted the Office for Presidential Correspondence on the matter we were unsuccessful in receiving a response.

A Sunderland resident has been fondly remembering an historic visit from US President Jimmy Carter to Wearside. Michael Gough, an amateur documentarian and filmmaker, captured the event using his Super 8 millimeter film camera on May 6th 1977. “I remember the moment of deciding to buy a cine camera in 1967 very well” Michael says, who also used the device to capture footage of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

Mr. Carter, who served as US President between 1977 and 1981, was America’s 39th President and visited Sunderland on this month forty years ago in an official capacity. Having just three weeks notice to prepare, the visit was very informal by Presidential standards, Tyne Tees Television capturing the event for American networks and the footage of which is now preserved, alongside Michael’s work, by both Yorkshire Film Archive and the North East Film Archive.

Mr. Gough, a now retired educator who moved to the area in the early 1970s with his wife Linda, captured the President’s visit much like any other event he felt might have been of greater significance. “I realized that if I only made family style home movies there would be a very restricted audience so I explored subjects that would appeal to wider audiences” he said recently, speaking to Sunderland One.

“When I decided to film Jimmy Carter my expectation was that it would be a newsreel filler which might remain of interest for a couple of years. Who was to know that ‘Welcome to Washington’ would do so well and still be shown 40 years later?” Michael remembers the day itself very well, but says that there wasn’t much time to stand on ceremony off camera.

“I was working only a few minutes’ walk from Washington Old Hall. I filmed it during my 1 hour lunch break so I only had about 45 minutes free on location. The filming was a rush to get crowds before Jimmy Carter came, see him at the Hall, then rush away before he planted a tree on the green. There was no planning at all. I simple [sic] responded to what was happening and tried to get enough pictures to tell the story. It was all a bit too rushed to feel any particular emotion or recognize the historical significance.”

President Carter visited the city as part of his tour of the North East, taking a tour of Corning Ltd glass works accompanied by then British Prime Minister James Callaghan. The centre, which was originally part of Sunderland Glass Works, was bought out by the American Corning in 1973 and closed its doors in 2007. Corning in America has worked exclusively with Steve Jobs since 2006 and are perhaps most famous for providing the hardware glass which encases the iPhone.President Carter arrived in the region when Air Force One officially landed in Newcastle Airport at just after 9:30am on 6th May. As part of his visit to Sunderland, his Presidential motorcade traveled over the Wearmouth Bridge, cheered by people lining the route. Seated in a Daimler car he was formally greeted upon his arrival in the city by the then Mayor of Sunderland, Charles Slater as well as Fred Willey, then MP for Sunderland North, Gordon Eagier, then MP for Sunderland South and other distinguished guests.

President Carter also took time to visit Washington, particularly Washington Old Hall, where he laid a tree sapling alongside Prime Minister Callaghan. The Old Hall is the ancestral home of George Washington, first known as the “de Wessyngtons”, who settled there from 1180AD. One of the smallest buildings in the possession of the National Trust, it is from a member of the family in the thirteenth century that departed Durham, from whom President Washington could trace his lineage. It is also one of the reasons why Sunderland City and Washington USA signed a unique ‘Friendship Agreement’ in 2006 leading to the establishment of Sunderland Shorts Film Festival.

The Washington coat of arms has been said to have inspired the flag of the United States. An example of the Washington coat of arms or shield can be seen in the cloisters of Durham Cathedral. Holding a special ceremony of American Independence every year, the building is often overlooked by tourists in the region, an H-shaped manor house in the heart of Washington village.

Indeed, it is this friendship and jovial attitude which filmmaker Michael Gough remembers most clearly from the day itself, a parallel on how things have changed in the intervening years regarding visits from such a high profile head of state. “I remember being amused by the intended anonymity of the American security guards who stood out like sore thumbs as they wore hearing aids and secretly talked up their sleeves.”

Mr. Carter made a second, far less public, visit to the region in 1987 by which time he had left Presidential office. In 2013 he sent a letter of thanks to Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes after Mr. Forbes had returned to him a framed photo taken on his original visit. Speaking directly to Sunderland One Cllr Forbes said: “Newcastle has great memories of President Carter’s visit”. “As a result of it our city was twinned with Atlanta – a great transatlantic friendship which has remained strong for the last 40 years. I took a photograph of the event with me on a recent visit to Atlanta, which the mayor’s office arranged to be presented to President Carter.”

The former President, who turned 92 in October, is still very much active in public life and was seen attending President Donald J Trump’s inauguration ceremony earlier this year. This is despite the nonagenarian recently informing an audience he had voted for Bernie Sanders.

At a talk on human rights issues, Mr. Carter went on to say “dissatisfaction with the existing system of politics” resulted in President Trump’s election. “People were willing just to take a chance and to abandon democracy and what we knew about its basic principles and try something new, no matter what it was,” he added.

In Feb 2017 Sunderland AFC Manager David Moyes issued Donald Trump an invitation to come and meet the team ahead of their mid season trip to New York. “If Donald Trump wants to come and see the boys, he’s very welcome,” Moyes is quoted as telling The Express. In a four day bonding session the team were photographed jogging around Central Park and being put through their paces on several exercise routines.

It is not believed that Mr. Trump was aware of or was able to respond formally to Mr. Moyes invitation. When Sunderland One contacted the Office for Presidential Correspondence on the matter we were unsuccessful in receiving a response.

A retiree celebrated his everlasting love for car sales in Sunderland this week, presented with recognition of service from his long standing employer at a special ceremony. John Watchman, 65, has spent 38 years in the motor retail industry and all of that time with just one employer – Bristol Street Motors Vauxhall Sunderland.

John, who was the guitarist for R&B band Love Affair in the 1960s prior to joining the firm as a sales executive, worked hard to obtain the position of Car Sales Manager. Love Affairs biggest hit, a cover of Robert Knight’s ‘Everlasting Love’, could sum up perfectly the admiration which John has for his employer.

The grandfather, who was presented with a special plaque by general manager Jass Singh, was humbled by the turnout of colleagues and well-wishers including Bristol Street Motors CEO Robert Forrester. “I’ve had a wonderful 38 years with Bristol Street Motors Vauxhall Sunderland. Bristol Street Motors is one off, if not the best in the motor retail industry and I’ve loved working for them.”

When asked what he was likely to do in his retirement John responded “I’ll spend more of my evenings playing guitar with my friends in local bands. I’m also looking forward to spending a lot more time at my second home in Spain and helping my children and grandchildren out with their young ones.”

Jass, all too aware of John’s talent and experience, said: “John’s presence around the dealership will be greatly missed. He has a wealth of experience and that shines through in the way he deals with customers and colleagues. Nothing is ever too much trouble and he is always prepared to lend a helping hand or answer any questions.”

Love Affair formed in London in 1966. Their first single, ‘She Smiled Sweetly’, was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, released on Decca Records. By 1968 the band had moved to CBS Records and recruited John Watchman in April 1971 for the single ‘Help Me Get Some Help’. They attracted controversy by later admitting that most of their singles did not feature Love Affair band members playing the instruments, but instead session musicians, who recorded the music while the band was on the road.

Love Affair disbanded in the 1970s, with some of the bands former members forming a partnership with Tim Staffel, the vocalist in pre-Queen band Smile who would be replaced by Freddie Mercury. John, who still plays in a number of local bands, gave an online interview in 2007 about the bands collapse and his subsequent musical endeavors’.

“I was offered a chance of a job with Roxy Music in Feb 72 after working in a previous band with Paul Thompson but decided to go to Sweden with Love Affair…I started working in Sunderland Locarno in the house band from spring 73 to late 75 when the band transferred to Tiffany’s Wimbledon then on again to Tiffany’s Newcastle until September 1977. I then recorded two albums with Tommy Morrison on Real Records, the first being co-produced by Paul Rodgers. The second, never released at the time, was produced by Ed Stasium. I then recorded with Paul Rodgers but the material was all demos.”